


Guide Me Into the Morning Light

by spinninginfinity



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-19
Updated: 2013-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-24 01:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/933523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinninginfinity/pseuds/spinninginfinity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Hawaii, Josh and Donna readjust.</p>
<p>
  <i>‘Won’t they all have figured it out? Kind of coincidental that we’d take a vacation at the same time, isn’t it?’</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guide Me Into the Morning Light

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Joshua Radin's "Lovely Tonight".

It’s raining as the cab pulls up in front of Josh’s building. 

‘Oh, I haven’t missed this at all,’ Josh says as they climb the steps, Donna holding an umbrella over them both.

Ever practical, even when he whisks her away to paradise for a week, he thinks, a now very familiar burst of warmth in his chest.

‘Could have fooled me,’ she replies, smiling at the doorman as he lets them in. Josh wonders if they look the same as they have all the other times they’ve done this, or if the doorman can tell something’s changed. If not, he will soon—Donna’s apartment is still being sublet, and for convenience’s sake she’s staying with him for now.

Josh has never actually lived with anyone he’s dated, and he wonders vaguely why he doesn’t feel more trepidation about the idea.

‘The weather. I meant I didn’t miss the weather.’ In the elevator, he drops his suitcase, hits the button for his floor and puts his hands on her waist, just because he can. ‘And I got better with not thinking about work. After, like, two days, actually.’

‘Josh.’ She smiles brightly, leaning into him. ‘I was kidding.’

‘Oh.’ He tucks her hair behind her ear and is thinking about kissing her when the elevator comes to a stop. ‘Still. I mean it. I wish we could’ve stayed longer, and not, ah…’ He’s still getting used to saying openly affectionate things to her, but it’s a nice process. ‘Not just for the weather,’ he finishes.

She looks up at him from beneath her lashes. ‘You know,’ she says, tone low and heated, ‘we’re not back at work until tomorrow. Vacation’s not over just yet.’

***

‘Who do you suppose will figure it out first?’ Donna asks, a bit later. 

‘Hmm?’ He presses his lips against her shoulder, wanting to lie quietly with her in this comfortable post-sex haze.

‘Really.’ She turns over in his arms so they’re lying nose to nose. ‘Who do you think?’

‘Won’t they all have figured it out? Kind of coincidental that we’d take a vacation at the same time, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah, but—’ She huffs a little, sliding her foot against his calf. ‘Humor me.’

He absently fingers a strand of her hair, thinking about it. ‘It’ll be Lou first,’ he says decisively. ‘She’s a bloodhound; she’ll sniff it out.’

‘Mm. Otto and Bram might notice you’re not yelling at them so much. They might wonder why.’

‘You think Otto and Bram will attribute my newfound placid temperament to regularly getting laid?’ he asks, raising his eyebrows.

‘They’re smart boys, Josh. And it’s true, isn’t it?’

‘It certainly is.’ He tightens his arms around her.

She gives him an incredulous smile. ‘Placid?’

‘Comparatively placid,’ he amends.

She sighs. ‘Seriously, we should probably talk about how we’re going to tell people.’

Josh pulls a face at her. ‘Can we leave it for a bit?’

‘Talking?’

‘No, telling people.’ He shifts even closer, bumping his nose gently against hers. ‘I like it just the two of us, don’t you?’

She gives him another dreamy smile. ‘I do.’

***

Keeping it quiet doesn’t work; of course it doesn’t. Giggles and whispers and smirks follow them around the building, but Josh is determined not to let it annoy him. At lunchtime, he buys Donna a latte with hazelnut syrup and one of the fancy, expensive toasted sandwiches from the place around the corner, placing them both shyly on her desk. The beam she gives him is worth any teasing and then some.

It’s the president, of all people, who accuses Josh of holding out on him.

‘You wanted me to tell you about my love life?’ Josh asks, surprised.

‘No, but I wanted the opportunity to tell you not to screw it up. Donna’s a beautiful, intelligent young woman who’s frankly way out of your league.’

Josh smiles, rubbing at the back of his neck. ‘I know that, sir. I know how lucky I am.’

President Bartlet fixes him with a stern look over the tops of his glasses. ‘Good.’

And then suddenly everybody seems to be talking about it. “Don’t screw it up” is a common sentiment, Josh finds, while “I thought you were already sleeping together” is another. Even the kid in HR, when they go to disclose their relationship, gives them a look as if to say “About damn time”.

‘Do we even know that guy?’ Josh wonders, as they make their way back to the offices they’ve taken over for transition.

‘No. Our reputation precedes us, apparently.’ She steps closer to him, nudging the backs of his fingers with hers. ‘Should have stayed in Hawaii.’

He sighs. ‘Yeah.’

‘I’m sorry,’ she says, the jocular tone gone from her voice. ‘It would have been nice to keep it just for us for a while. I know people are teasing, but they’ll get bored of it soon.’

‘It’s not that, though I hope so.’ He glances around quickly and then tugs her to one side of the corridor, allowing the people who were walking a little way behind them to pass before carrying on. ‘I, uh…’ He gives a slight laugh. ‘I kind of wish I could have told Leo, you know? He wouldn’t have acted like he cared very much, but uh… I think he’d have been pleased that I’d…’ He trails off, staring at her, the weight of all the things he could say hanging suddenly between them. His heart swoops; he’s still sure, somehow, that there are some things it’s far too early to confess. He swallows and tries again. ‘That I… you know.’

Donna saves him, thankfully. ‘I do know,’ she says. ‘I’d have liked him to know, too.’

***

‘Well, we survived our first day.’ Donna smiles brightly at him as he closes the door to his apartment. ‘I feel good, don’t you?’

‘Here’s to many more,’ he says, slumping gracelessly on the sofa, his head lolling back.

Donna contemplates him. ‘Hey,’ she says carefully, after a moment. ‘This thing… it’s worth it, right?’

Josh sits up a little. ‘“This thing” being our relationship? Yeah, it’s worth it.’ He’s suddenly terrified. ‘Have I—I’m sorry, I know I’ve been complaining all day, and we probably didn’t have the best—I mean, we had the best week but it wasn’t really a—an accurate reflection of what’s to come—’

‘Oh, god, Josh,’ she says, eyes widening, ‘I didn’t mean that—’

‘And I’m still not the best at relationships, and I don’t know if I ever will be, so I could understand if I’ve put you off—’ He breaks off. ‘You didn’t?’

‘No!’ She sits down next to him, close, so that her knee knocks against his. ‘I just meant—we’re going to have to put up with this for a little while, and stories in the papers, probably, because you know getting to the bottom of whether we were sleeping together while I was working for you is going to be more important than who’s going to be the next Secretary of Defense, and I just… I don’t know, I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.’

‘We are,’ he assures her hastily. ‘We are. I promise.’

Her face breaks into the widest grin. ‘Okay.’ She stands up, unwinding her scarf and tossing it over the back of the sofa. ‘I was thinking we could order in Chinese or something for dinner,’ she calls over her shoulder as she heads out to the kitchen. ‘I fancy the vegetable stir-fry from that place. If it’s even still around, that is; it’s been so long since we’ve spent a decent amount of time in DC. Do you want a drink?’

He doesn’t answer. He’s absolutely transfixed by her scarf, draped across his cushions like it belongs there.

‘Josh?’ she says, appearing in the doorway, glass of water in hand.

He stares at her, and he wants to tell her everything: _you’re wonderful, you amaze me, I love you_. Instead, he says, ‘Stay.’

She blinks. ‘What?’

‘Stay here.’ He stands, going to her. ‘Not just for the next few weeks, not just because it’s the most convenient place right now. Just… stay.’ He hesitates, trying to gauge the look on her face. ‘Or—or you don’t have to. It’s just a thought—’

He’s cut off by her kissing him, her hands clutching at the lapels of his jacket, ‘Yes,’ she says, breaking it off, tilting her forehead against his. ‘Yes.’

‘Really?’ he asks.

‘ _Yes_ ,’ she says, sounding utterly joyous, and he feels like he’s just remembered how to breathe. He might still be feeling a bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of sun, sea and sex can fix, and things might only get harder from here, but she’s _staying_ and it’s more important than anything.

He wraps his arms around her, kissing her again. Dinner will have to wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback welcome and appreciated.


End file.
